


The 5XG Incident

by DimMemories



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Ableism, Could be read as Amedot, Gen, Homeworld is Horrible, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Harm, Self-Hatred, Visiting the old workplace, if you squint hard enough - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-03
Updated: 2017-10-05
Packaged: 2018-11-23 00:00:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11391117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DimMemories/pseuds/DimMemories
Summary: 4CQ narrowed her eyes and purposefully placed her hand on the console. It was time to get down to business. “Ahem. You don’t get your shift rotation back that easily, 5XG,” she said with the icy polish of authority. “Or should I say ‘traitor’.”5XG was using a pad of paper--analog data transfer, like a savage--to write down what the senior officer instantly recognized as coordinates in a format suitable for an Era 1 transport. She addressed her former superior in a flat voice. “Oh. 4CQ. What an unmitigated joy to see you again.”--Peridot pays a visit to her old Homeworld workplace. Takes place after the "Wanted" event.





	1. The Incident

As the senior member of Working Group Z57Q3-D, Peridot 2X2L-4CQ lived for reports. She loved thumbing through the titles, she loved reading them, and she definitely loved creating them. Historical records of Homeworld’s champions during the Earth Rebellion? Blueprints for a proposed Roaming Eye modification? Assembly instructions for a desk? It was all worthwhile to her. The data helped demonstrate, just by the amassed amount, that the universe was quantifiable, and thus knowable.

In fact, she was so wrapped up on putting the final touches on a work about Era 2 networking protocols, “Wireline In Interplanetary Communications: What Was The Deal?”, that she almost literally bumped into an anomaly.

Peridot 2F5L-5XG, who had briefly been classified as “missing, presumed shattered” after what was unofficially called “The Clod Affair”, was sitting at her old workstation, almost as if the recent event that threw the department into chaos had never occurred. Looking at her, however, a few things had clearly happened to her in the interim. Most noticeably, she didn’t have her limb enhancers anymore, and would’ve looked ridiculously naked to 4CQ if it wasn’t for the bandolier she wore around her upper body. It was a unique modifier for a Peridot-class technician. The pockets held various metal implements, and while none of them could be identified as tools, one of them was sticking out of the downed security robonoid by the entrance, so at least they had a functional purpose.

Parsing her appearance, as useful (and entertaining) as it could be, was frivolity in comparison to her current actions: unauthorized access of a primary data terminal. That wouldn’t do at all.

4CQ narrowed her eyes and purposefully placed her hand on the console. It was time to get down to business. “Ahem. You don’t get your shift rotation back that easily, 5XG,” she said with the icy polish of authority. “Or should I say ‘traitor’.”

5XG was using a pad of paper--analog data transfer, like a _savage_ \--to write down what the senior officer instantly recognized as coordinates in a format suitable for an Era 1 transport. She addressed her former superior in a flat voice. “Oh. 4CQ. What an unmitigated joy to see you again.”

4CQ pulled up the 5XG file on her finger screen, partially to have an image to thrust at the prodigal Peridot, but mainly just to flaunt an ability the traitor didn't seem to have anymore. “Your conduct connected to the failed Earth mission put us in quite the spot. Also, you’re supposed to be dead right now.” Her lip curled into a sneer. “Or at least split into manageable pieces.”

5XG spun around with a cackling laugh that her colleague hadn’t missed in the slightest. “Well, I got better, but don’t feel too bad. If I live the right life, they’ll get another... _crack_ at me.” She then kicked her relatively tiny legs in laughter. “Ha-ha! Puns! I kill me!”

4CQ was temporarily shaken by the outburst. 5XG was never this glib or flippant before, and the comparatively wild look in her eyes was alien to their line. The undertone of menace, of course, was standard equipment. “Yes, killing you. That’s exactly what we were just discussing. Your situational awareness is as remarkable as usual. And have some dignity, please! Surely you haven’t been away long enough to forget how we carry ourselves in this department.”

5XG straightened herself in her seat, almost as a mockery of the request. “Let’s just say I’ve adjusted into my new life as public enemy number one.”

4CQ rolled her eyes and pulled up another document. “Oh please, you haven’t even made the top twenty.” She rapidly scrolled through what the department referred to as the Rogues and Scoundrels chart. As usual, Rose Quartz was #1 with a Fist of Justice. “Oh yes, here you are. Even if we filter for Peridots only, you still come in behind the clod who botched the scheduling software.” With a note of satisfaction, she added, “When she’s caught--and she will be--she’ll still have a position in this department...powering the emergency lights.”

A frown of disappointment flickered across 5XG’s face, quickly replaced by an expression of serene insolence. “Well, it’s early in my career as a turncoat. When they find out I defeated Jasper, maybe I’ll hit the Hot 100.”

The senior Peridot noted with a hint of sadness that even after 5,000 years, Earth was still an incubator of delusions. Obviously, a corrective measure was required. She armed her blaster and pointed it at the traitor’s head, the power-up hum filling the room. “It’s been fun catching up, but I think I’d like my chair back.”

The effect was supposed to be frightening, but when 5XG flicked her bare hand at the air and suddenly 4CQ couldn’t control her enhancers anymore, it wasn’t 5XG’s fear that was a factor. What should've been a point blank dissipation shot ended up firing into the far wall, frying a service panel and causing the main lights to flicker ominously.

“Oh, come now,” 5XG smirked, her hand describing a lazy arc that 4CQ’s right arm was helplessly following. “Is that any way to treat a former underling that you’ve gradually learned to tolerate?”

4CQ had a rejoinder ready to the effect of if she ever faced one, she'd let her know, but when 5XG followed up by raising her other hand and levitating four of her crude projectiles, all she could do was gape in horror. “What did that planet do to you?”

“I made a lot of useful discoveries on the former colony. But I promise that you won’t like some of them. My former Diamond definitely didn’t.” The answer held an unpleasant conspiratorial tinge. They both knew well that even when a Gem dedicated herself to the chase for knowledge, certain things weren't allowed to be known.

The blast noise brought the rest of the work group barreling in, tripping over one another in panic. 5XG launched one of the projectiles over their heads as a warning shot, but they were too busy gaping at the scene before them to do any real damage.

4CQ was flailing about wildly, trying to get her rebellious limbs under control while the rebel directed her motions. “I’ve never manipulated a set of these from the outside before,” the traitor laughed. “Let’s try a simple test operation. Stop hitting yourself!” As if it was a command, 4CQ was suddenly incapable of doing so.

She still had complete control of her voice, however. “Stop gawking and eliminate this renegade!” 4CQ screamed.

Before the rest of the group was able to act, a purple blur encircled them, and when the agitation stopped they found themselves tied up by a pair of whips, hands uselessly bound to their sides.

“Look at that!” a severely overcooked Amethyst cackled. “Ps in a pod!”

5XG seemed a little bit put out by the comment. “Amethyst, read the room,” she said sympathetically. “They don’t get agriculture metaphors.”

Amethyst (because the singular implied that she was the only one who came on this mission) gave the freshly-captured prisoners a once-over. “Um...did somebody order a hardware bundle?” One of the incapacitated Peridots let out a muffled snicker, which seemed to please the renegade's quartz companion.

5XG smiled at Amethyst, then turned to 4CQ with a shrug. “It’s...an Earth thing.”

With great effort, 4CQ had managed to right herself, but was still gesturing jerkily like a marionette with tangled strings. “Oh. And is _this_ an Earth thing, too?”

5XG contemplated the question before turning to face her former supervisor. “Hmmm. Let’s see. Like every other Peridot in this room, I was told from the day I was born that there was something wrong with me. ‘Our deepest regrets, 2F5L-5XG, but due to an unforeseen depletion of resources in your Kindergarten, your naturally-occurring power suite will be deeply limited at best.’ They immediately fitted me for my first limb enhancers, and for a time, that was sufficient.”

She paced the floor, 4CQ’s limbs faintly trailing her hand gestures. “But eventually I realized that ‘enhanced’ Peridots were viewed as an object of pity or scorn in some quarters of Gem society. The usually unspoken implication was that while I technically came out _right_ , I didn’t come out _correctly_. In hindsight, internalizing that feeling negatively affected my approach to workmates...” She paused, glancing at Amethyst. “...and placed a barrier in the way of other interpersonal relationships.”

She rubbed her neck, her face flushing at a specific memory, but the moment passed. “I’ve worked with many enhanced Era 2s for thousands of years, including those in attendance today. You all have stories in your personal histories that attest to what I'm saying. And you all deserve better.”

While 4CQ maintained a stony silence, the bound Peridots stared apprehensively at the floor and each other, each face reflecting an internal struggle.

Amethyst seemed at a loss, rubbing her eye. “Jeez, Peri.”

The renegade Peridot raised a hand to her compatriot and continued. “Through a series of...unavoidable accidents, my hardware escaped me after the Earth landing. I lost everything I was taught to believe had value, but as a result, I developed powers that I had been told throughout my entire existence I shouldn’t have.” As a reminder, she bounced a few more floating projectiles against the communications console, one striking it hard enough to stick through the microphone.

“More importantly, I am part of a community that accepts me and embraces me, and I have been convinced that my life has meaning and worth beyond performance of basic functions.”

She then turned to lock eyes with her former supervisor. The smile on her face was so kind that it baffled the other Homeworld Gems. “Is that what Earth does to you? Yes. Yes, it is.”

Regardless of her actual feelings, 4CQ remained outwardly unreadable throughout the presentation, as her position demanded. But now that the rebel had yielded the floor, she shakily resumed her primary function in this crisis. “That would be very impressive...from anyone but a delusional, lopped-off pebble! Are you seriously trying to convince _us_ , or are you still trying to convince _yourself_?”

Before 5XG could answer her, or at the minimum make make her former superior start hitting herself again, a human being pushed past the Peridots that were still trussed up by the entrance and hugged 5XG around the waist. “Oh, Peridot!” He looked vaguely familiar to 4CQ, but with the surrounding confusion she couldn’t place the reason why.

5XG ruffled his hair, but seemed slightly embarrassed. “Steven, we go through this _every_ time I have a moment of truth. And why did you leave the lookout post?”

The human blinked a few times, as if just becoming aware of his surroundings. “Oh, right! It’s been ten minutes. You told me to let you know.” He waved nervously at the bound prisoners. “Hi, Peridots!” Then he added to the rebel Peridot, almost as a whisper, “They’re so _cool_.”

She raised her head in pride. “Yes, Steven, Peridots are amazing, and we’ll talk about that at length once we’re outside of hostile territory.”

Amethyst nodded in agreement. “Yup, sounds like go time, P.”

Gradually, 4CQ noticed that something about the human’s presence had loosened 5XG’s control. Her business arm had finally been given back to her, and she was able to shift the enhancer back to its weapon configuration. Her arm raised, her blaster locked onto the target...

And she hesitated. There shouldn’t be a moment of doubt, should there? By her actions and her words, 5XG was an aberration, a break with the natural order as she knew it. One quick blast was all she would get, but that's all it would take to put an end to this episode.

So why couldn’t she do it?

And then Steven gasped, catching impending doom out of the corner of his eye. His arms shot out and a pink defensive bubble formed around the rebel trio. With that action, 4CQ realized she’d seen that face very recently.

“ _Rose Quartz!_ ”

She opened fire, any hesitation evaporating in that instant.

Part of the Rose Quartz legend was her diabolical effectiveness as a persuader, but apparently, all she could come up with under fire was, “We’ll talk about this when you’re less cranky, okay?”

4CQ wasn’t having any of it, switching to a rapid fire sweep. “You may have coerced my dopey underling, Diamond killer, but you’ll find my offense quite formidable! And I am not cranky! This is unleashed fury! _Learn the difference!_ ”

The three rebels backed out of the room, the bubble swapped for the instantly recognizable shield as they exited into the hallway. “Hey, Peri?” Amethyst shouted over the barrage, pointing at the doorway. “You think you can avalanche this thing?”

“On it,” 5XG replied. With an extra amount of effort, she made a yanking motion with both hands, and suddenly every metallic and metal-clad object--furniture, paneling, and workstations--was sucked into the opening, forming an impromptu barricade.

The effort temporarily knocked the traitor Peridot to the floor. Bringing herself to her feet, she looked at her handiwork in satisfaction, then called out to the Peridots on the other side of the amassed pile. “I'd love to stick around and reminisce, but we’ve got other things going on today.” And with that, the rebels made themselves scarce.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was going to be a one-and-done story, but blossomed in a few unexpected directions, and suddenly there was no way we were getting out without a continuation.
> 
> Up next: The Aftermath. See you then!


	2. Aftermath On Homeworld

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the wake of 5XG's destructive exit, 4CQ works damage control.

“Peridot Facet-2X2L, Cut-4CQ reporting. We need assistance on level 12, sector G. This facility has been compromised by Rose Quartz!”

The quartz guard on the other end of the emergency call sounded appropriately freaked out. “Affirmative. We’ll be at your position shortly.” As per protocol, the report triggered the siren for Double Red Diamond Watch, but disconcertingly, the sound of it came from at least two corridors over.

Having done her duty as well as could be expected under the circumstances, 4CQ took a second to assess her surroundings. A Peridot’s designated work area, when she used it, was precise, if not necessarily tidy. Every tool and part was positioned for workflow optimization. A well-practiced tech could run her touch stumps across the repair and assembly area in a memorized pattern and collect the necessary parts for a task without looking.

It wasn’t exactly like that now, since all of the parts and tools, along with all the other unanchored portions of the room, had been raked into the exit portal. The other Peridots, a theoretically manageable team of five, were already sorting the wreckage into its component parts, in spite of 4CQ’s complaint that no, delicacy was _not_ a priority in this operation. Clearance first, wreckage later. But old habits die hard, especially when they were programmed into you before birth.

“THAT WAS THE COOLEST THING I’VE EVER SEEN!”

 _Oh clods,_ she thought. This wasn’t even what she was bracing for and it was still unbearable. But 8KC, the youngest member of the group, was bouncing up and down in place, making emphatic gestures with her personal tractor beam while everybody else strategically ducked and dodged. “Do you remember the data disc from that Earth probe we intercepted? Do you think she knows Johnny B. Goode?!”

Fangemming. Absolutely appalling.

Again, the wrist communicator crackled to life. “Um, 4CQ? We may have a problem. Whatever came through here wrecked the corridor. Are you secure in your current position?”

“Affirmative.”

“We’ve dispatched robonoids for your assailant, but it looks like video in your sector is down. How many were in the assault party?”

4CQ’s team stopped working when the question bounced off the walls. A few of them looked to her apprehensively. She waved them off out of hope that at least one thing could go to plan today.

“The fugitive Rose Quartz hybrid, an Amethyst...and a crude electromagnetic disruptor.” It wasn’t technically a lie, just a non-standard interpretation of the facts. “Crude” was a painfully correct descriptor of 5XG’s current state...by one definition of the term, anyway. Still, it was off the mark enough to bring room activity to a screeching halt.

“Whoa, really?” There was a murmur of agitation on the other end of the transmission. “There must’ve been some serious power behind that thing. It’s like an explosion over here.”

“Yes, considering the source, it was...unique. What is your ETA, soldier?”

“Sorry, there’s not an easy answer. Even after we clear the barriers, we’ve gotta brace this whole corridor in case there are structural issues. You might be on your own for awhile.”

 _So we’re maybe third or fourth on the list_ , she thought. _Nice to know their priorities are in order._ “Do what you must. 4CQ out.”

She ran her touch stumps through her hair in frustration. This was not how this cycle’s agenda was supposed to go. The idea of a schedule disruption had so consumed her that it was only on the slow turn around when she realized her group was still staring at her in bafflement.

“Okay. Out with it.”

From the back of the group came a voice like a drill to the gemstone. “Very well. Would you like to tell us what in the _shards_ you thought you were pulling just now?”

The Peridot who had volunteered to speak was 5ZL. Her hair was what would be referred to as seaweed green--at least in a civilization that knew the concept of seaweed--and an appearance modifier that gave her very severe shoulder accents. It was an effect that her workmates assumed she’d prepared on purpose to set her apart from them, and especially her Kindergarten-mate...the one that had just tried to obliterate the entire section.

For the purposes of getting on with things, 5ZL was a questioner, and 4CQ was in no mood for insubordination. “Let me ask you a few questions. Is it my assignment to make the final decisions on behalf of this workgroup?”

The response was curt. “Yes, it is.”

“Have I ever acted in a manner that was contrary to our production goals and our viability as a unit?”

“To the best of my knowledge? No.”

“Then understand that what I’m about to tell you is in the best interests of this group, of this section, and of our line in general. A security detail will be with us shortly, and the story I will tell them is to be considered the official version of today’s debacle: that this facility was breached by the fugitive Rose Quartz, a defective Amethyst, and _no one else_.” The final words landed like a glove of iron.

5ZL gave a hard stare to her superior--superior in title, anyway--before letting loose with a raspy, derisive snicker. “You’re _protecting_ her!”

4CQ waved off the suggestion in what was supposed to be a casual motion, but carried a built-in stammer that she somehow managed to keep out of her voice. “Don’t be absurd.”

But 5ZL, who was beginning to build up a respectable head of sass, turned to the others. “We all have visual receptors, don’t we? Then is it not obvious that the esteemed group leader has a little hunk of borax burning for the Peridot that made her getaway?”

The collected Peridots, never fans of intraoffice squabbling in even the best of times, mumbled noncommittal responses about how it kind of felt like a reach after all that blaster play. The closest to assent was a dry response from 9AG. “Sure. It’s as plain as the nose on your elbow.”

4CQ tensed anyway, grasping a bent piece of metal just from jangled nerves. “5XG abandoned the protection of this department when she abandoned the department! It’s not about _her_!”

5ZL closed the distance between the two to an uncomfortable degree. “Fine. Then what _is_ this supposed to be about?”

The answer was firm and certain. “This is about protecting us.”

"Falsifying a security report is about protecting us? You’re going to have to do better than that.”

“Oh, am I? Then let’s lay out the key points of the case, shall we? The failed Earth colony has become a black hole for intelligence. Automated surveillance? Destroyed on arrival. 5XG went down with an informant and the ultimate backup for a routine status check on a well-known geoweapon. The result? 5XG went insane and the others vanished without a trace. And oh stars, the stories from those Rubies! Jettisoned into space from an out-of-service Diamond base!

“Always it came back to the name Rose Quartz, a name that was supposed to be obliterated along with the Crystal Gems and the other unspoken mistakes in the history of the Gempire. And those are just the reports that arrived in one piece! Imagine what’s being redacted before it even reaches us! But the major issue is that Earth is an active field of investigation once again, and that unassailable fact has polluted the upper chain of command with layers of paranoia.”

5ZL leveled a skeptical stare. “Including this department, obviously...”

But 4CQ wouldn’t be stopped at this point. “ _Layers of paranoia._  And yes, that means the threat of guilt by association most definitely figures into how we deal with 5XG. If our superiors knew that _she_ had been here, they might also figure out that we’ve been burdened with esoteric knowledge.” She curled her lip around the words in practiced distaste. “And that would be catastrophic for all of us.”

“Honesty to our superiors is a liability now? Absolute boulderdash.”

And that’s when 4CQ came the closest to completely losing her composure. “That bizarre fleshy thing that just romped through here had a Rose Quartz gem embedded in it! _The_ Rose Quartz gem! Have any of you Era 2s even seen another Rose Quartz in person in the past few millennia?”

4CQ took their silence as a tacit negative. “There’s a reason for that.” She let the implications hang heavy in the air. “I have no interest in protecting 5XG, who put selfish personal gains over squad goals. This is about saving us.”

She knew that was a gross oversimplification. The truth was that 4CQ didn’t know what their fates would be if the uncensored account filtered its way up the Court, and it was the uncertainty that gnawed at her. But her outburst had temporarily stifled an awkward debate, so rhetorically it had done its job. “For our purposes, you have the official story. And it would be appropriate if we all reached an accord on this while we figure out what to do next.”

A long, tense silence was broken by 7TX, who had kept to herself through the debate, but was noticeably troubled. “Um...does this mean we have to be rebels now?”

The question sent a small chill through 4CQ, who thought she had managed the discussion better than that. “Absolutely, unquestionably not. Our primary loyalties remain with our Diamond, as they always have.”

7TX flashed a nervous, tight smile. “Okay. I’m good.”

The attention of the room shifting back to her, 5ZL braced a balled fist against her forehead. “Fine. But I’m doing this under protest.”

“Regardless, your compliance is deeply appreciated.” To the rest of the Peridots, 4CQ added, “Anyway, back to primary business. Once we finish with security, today’s main goal will be cleanup and reset. That means we’re going to have to work that much harder to make the end of quarter production goals. Rebels or no, deadlines don’t wait.”

A chorus of groans greeted the announcement, the kind of familiar exasperation that was sweet relief to everyone involved.

Before returning to the others, 5ZL placed her hand on the group leader’s shoulder and squeezed hard. “You and I aren’t done.”

4CQ brushed away the other Peridot’s touch stumps, as disaffected as she could manage. “True. But we’re done for now.”

* * *

“It’s the hair, isn’t it?”

The team having finally cleared a passageway to the outside, 5ZL had moved on to sifting for tools. 9AG wasn’t looking at her when she made the comment, but it was unmistakably directed at her. “What?”

5ZL's colleague was boredly inspecting a stack of circuit boards, throwing the cracked and broken components to one side for reprocessing. “5XG’s hair. She always had a good natural peak on the top, and yours just kind of flops over to one side. I’d be jealous, too, if I was into that type of thing.”

“Whose side are you on?” 5ZL sputtered. “Hers or mine?”

9AG seemed baffled by the question. “Mine.”

5ZL pivoted on her heel in disgust. In the process, her shoulder modifiers "accidentally" knocked 9AG into the wall...twice. "Excuse me. I've only had these things for a thousand years and I'm still getting used to them."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you're wondering, it's "a little hunk of borax" because it burns green.
> 
> Next time: Back to the Shorty Squad. See you then!


	3. A Barnyard Reflection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Trigger warning:** This chapter touches on incidents of self-harm and self-destruction.

"So that was your old P Squad, was it?"

Amethyst was rolling across the green fields on the edge of the DeMayo family property, Pumpkin happily yapping by her side and snapping into a pouncing position when the purple gem made a sudden movement towards it. Not everybody can maintain a conversation while flailing around with an energetic pet, but she had centuries of practice.

Peridot was idly turning a piece of a drop ship control panel over in her hands. Ancient Gem tech, as Steven Universe and the Crystal Gems were constantly rediscovering, held up remarkably well even when it was half-buried in the Earth's crust for thousands of years, which had given them the idea to use the Era 1 ships for the Lars and the Off-Colors rescue attempt. However, the first one they found had an old growth redwood poking through the hull, which compromised its space-worthiness. The other known vessels needed a fierce weed eating at best, so the recovery mission would require some extra scavenging to ensure that they had enough pieces for one good one. One that wouldn't blow up on reentry, preferably.

"Yes," the green Gem said, reaching over to scratch Pumpkin behind the stem. "And my former manager was just as rude as ever."

"Tell me about it," Steven said, tracing in a patch of dirt one of the patterns he saw etched into a wall of the Homeworld Kindergarten. "The trying to kill us part was familiar, though."

A look of bafflement crossed Peridot's face. "You shouldn't feel nostalgic about near eradication, Steven."

"C'mon, Peri," Amethyst chided. "How many times did you try to finish us off? Die! Die! Die! Die! Die!" She shot at her comrade with finger guns. '"Ah, good times."

"As I'm sure you're aware, I was going through a _phase_ at the time. One that lasted several thousand years."

"Do they all shoot first and make friends later?" Steven asked. "Because we get a lot of those."

Peridot waved off the question. "Not necessarily. But usually they're not dealing with a security breach. Or the most infamous Gem of them all."

Amethyst tumbled up to Steven's feet, ending in an upright position. "Yeah, Stee-man. Ya can't just sneak up on somebody, say 'boo' and expect a snuggly huggly."

"Always works with you guys." As if it proved his point, Steven gave Amethyst a tight hug.

"That's cuz I always see you coming. I got eyes in the back of my head. Eyes in the back of my _eyes_ , even!" To demonstrate, her hair sprouted multiple eye stalks, each with an eye blinking independently of the others.

"Ew! Quit showing off!" Steven giggled as the eyeballs followed him around from multiple angles.

"Amethyst has a million eyes! Everywhere! Some on my back!" She wiggled her fingers and laid an evil laugh on him. "Whaddya think about that?"

Peridot tried not to laugh at the display. "How would an eyeball on the back of you eyeball even work?" She already had a working theory, but was a little more curious about Amethyst's approach, assuming she had one.

One of the stalks swung over the top of the Gem technician, eventually tapping the peak of her hair repeatedly. "I dunno, P-dot. Didn't you ever wanna see the inside of your head?"

"Not like that!" Peridot flinched. As used to shapeshifting as she had become on Earth, Amethyst's unorthodox surprises always caught her off guard.

After a few more eyeball taps elicited a giggle from Peridot, Amethyst reeled her modifications back in. "C'mon, dude, let's round up some wood. I feel like cookin' tonight."

* * *

After a quick search for limbs and brush, the squad capped off the day with a modest campfire. Even on short notice, Steven managed to cobble together a s'mores kit, while Amethyst chose to roast some dubious hot dogs that had been in the fridge for a little bit too long. She had extra sticks in case she ate a few, which she always did, because wood that tasted like hot dogs was just as good as anything else she ate in a day. But there was a thing about the morning's performance on Homeworld that was still nagging at her.

"So," Amethyst said cautiously while looking for a non-fuzzy spot on the latest frankfurter, "back at the Peridot office park, you said something about the 'usually unspoken' implications of not having all the powers. Sounds like somebody actually spoke 'em once."

Peridot, poking at a pile of embers with a large branch, tensed for a moment, but the question wasn't unexpected. "Yes, there's a story behind that. It was the first time I made a presentation directly to the Diamonds, I was beaming, because it was the ultimate fulfillment of my creation. When I had finished and the Pearls were leading me away for a lower-level reception, one of the Blue court in attendance said, 'Wasn't she just marvelous?' And an agate under Yellow Diamond replied, in the imperious way that all of her boot kissers affect, 'Yes, you'd almost think she's a _real_ Peridot.'"

Amethyst, who had risen to grab another log, stopped in her tracks, her thoughts going back to a day in the Prime Kindergarten with Peridot and Steven that seemed like a lifetime ago. "That...sounds kinda familiar."

"It was an acquired trait. The worst part was that even then, I recognized that she meant it as a compliment. She just didn't know, or just didn't want to know. It took me years to look another Gem in the eye after that incident." She looked guiltily at the purple Gem. "And still I did the same thing to you. It's one of my deepest regrets from my time here."

Steven leaned into the firelight, a sympathetic look on his face. "But Peridot, that was you _before_. You've _changed_. None of us blame you for how you were then, because we know what you've become and we've seen how hard you've worked to get here."

Amethyst sat down next to Peridot, wrapping an arm around her. "What matters is you saw what you did and you learned from it. That's what makes you awesome. But I get why you'd stew in that. I used to beat myself up so many times that I should've had bruises that look like tribal tattoos."

Steven gestured with his marshmallow stick. "Dad always says that talking out your feelings is a good first step to dealing with them. Don't they do that on Homeworld?"

Peridot shook her head sadly. "No, Steven. As with a lot of things, Homeworld learned the wrong lessons from the Rebellion. What humans call psychology is a weaponized art for political influence and in times of war. But therapy? They don't know the word. You come out of the ground knowing your purpose, but also knowing that certain types of questioning would be dealt with... _terminally_. So if you developed a problem, you were left to your own devices."

Pumpkin, as non-vegetable dogs usually do, recognized the changing mood of its favorite biped and plopped down in her lap, whining hopefully. Peridot idly stroked its shell as her mind groped for the contours of a even more painful memory, her eyes focused on the far horizon as the words finally came.

"There used to be another member in our department, a brilliant technician and a perfectionist. We all admired that in her, but she took the criticisms about Era 2 to heart. One day, we caught her manipulating a grinder over her gem. She told us that it was strictly science. Her story was that she had a theory about recutting her stone to break some type of built-in stalemate. But when the guards took her away for the last time, the expression of relief on her face told us that she had...other motivations.

"And yes, I'm in a much better place now. A place where an act like that would be unthinkable. But dealing with these things takes time."

Peridot turned to offer Amethyst what was supposed to be a reassuring smile, but she quickly realized that her friend wasn't sitting next to her anymore. She had walked to the edge of the cornfield, fists clenched in the gathering twilight. "Amethyst?"

The purple quartz answered with a chill in her voice. "Peri, we gotta go back. I wanna go Diamond punching."

Bolting to her feet in a panic, sending Pumpkin tumbling in the process, Peridot grabbed Amethyst's arm and spun her around. "No, you don't! Have you ever been in a room with one of them? Even if they weren't ridiculously overpowered, the size disparity is insane! Steven, help me out here."

"Yeah, Ame. They're huuuuuuge." Steven tried to indicate something as large as two houses with his marshmallow stick, but seated on the ground he could only be so effective. "Like at least as big as the barn. You could probably kick 'em in the shins, but I wouldn't recommend it. Yellow's got those big boots."

Amethyst waved her arms in exasperation, her voice cracking in a gathering fury. "I'm sorry, but even if I wasn't in the Rebellion, when it's jerks versus the people, I gotta go with the people! What you're telling me is they're doing a number on _everybody_ , and it's not right to just leave them feeling all busted! They don't have a right to leave everybody broken!"

Peridot laid a hand on the quartz's shoulder. Meeting Peridot's eyes brought Amethyst back to a level of self-possession that softened her rage, the anger in her voice draining into a tired sadness. "I don't care if there's billions and billions living just like that, or how long they've been that way. Nobody should have to feel worthless, and _definitely_ nobody should have to feel hopeless. Not a single one of 'em."

Peridot escorted Amethyst back to the fireside. "Well, once they open my gift, maybe things will start to change."

“Ooooo, a gift?" It was one of the words that always brought stars to Steven's eyes. "Was it Camp Pining Hearts? Do they even have DVD players there?”

Amethyst looked perplexed. “Did I miss something, Peri? I didn’t see you drop anything on them. Well, apart from the ceiling.”

Peridot resettled herself. “Oh, it wasn’t a material present. It was the type of gift that a Gem created for technical analysis would really appreciate.”

And then Peridot--the truest Peridot, as far as her companions were concerned--shot them a coy smile with just a hint of mischief. “I gave them something new to think about.”


	4. Epilogue: The Peridot Revolution

For what seemed like the first time in decades, 2X2L-4CQ was in her private quarters holding a finger from her limb enhancers in her unmodified palm. With extreme mental concentration, she used the other hand to imitate the gestures that 5XG had demonstrated in her team’s work area, trying various levels of drama to see if that produced the desired effect.

After several attempts, she just sat down and boredly began spinning her finger over the metal appendage in her hand.

And that’s when it began rotating.

4CQ snapped to attention, trying to smother the audible reaction of shock in her throat. Very carefully, she lifted her free hand, and the digit followed at a distance. The look on her face was sheer joy.

After tumbling it in various directions on a phantom axis, the unusual exertion finally got to her and the digit fell to the ground. Still, she viewed it as a session well spent. _These things take time_ , she silently reassured herself, _but they can’t be unlearned._

And that's when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She whipped around with a start and found herself looking into the stony eyes of 5ZL. _You and I aren't done._ That was what she said on the day, which made 4CQ paranoid about the hand that she couldn't see. Slowly the recalcitrant Peridot began moving it into view. 4CQ flinched, preparing herself for anything...

Anything, that is, but what she ended up facing, which was a ball bearing orbiting 5ZL's extended index finger.

She fixed her focus on 5ZL's face again. This time what she saw was weary defeat. "I'm never going to hear the end of this, am I?"

4CQ chuckled, gesturing at the finger satellite. "That depends. Do you still want to want to leave this where you found it?"

The metal sphere dropped, 5ZL catching it in her palm. The demeanor of 5XG's kindergarten-mate was more relaxed than 4CQ could ever remember. "Honestly? I'm curious to see where this goes."

There was an unfamiliar spark in 5ZL's eyes. Hope was a new feeling for both of them. Figuring out what to do with it would be a challenge.

4CQ gestured at an empty seat. "Then let's talk about what happens next."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the deal: I got so caught up in Humanoids of Beach City this summer (among other things) that I almost forgot to finish writing the "real" ending of this story. Thanks for your patience, and I hope it was worth the wait.


End file.
